A round table with leaf is a round dining table that opens up in the middle so you can add an extra board, and that board is what everybody calls the leaf. With the leaf out you’ve got a small round table for four. Put it in, and the table gets longer and turns into an oval, so you can seat six or more when people come over.
Some stores call it an extendable round dining table or a round table with an extension leaf, and it’s all the same thing. The hard part is picking the size and the kind of leaf, and honestly, most store listings don’t help much with either.
There Are Three Leaf Types And Each One Stores Differently
The Removable Leaf Is The Most Common One
This is the one most round tables come with. The leaf is a loose board, usually 12 or 18 inches wide, and you pull the table open, lay the board in the gap and push the two halves back against it. Some tables come with two leaves so you can go even longer.
It’s simple and there isn’t much on it that can break, which I like. The only downside is the board has to live somewhere when you’re not using it. It needs to stay flat and inside the house, like under a bed or at the back of a closet, because if it sits in a damp garage, it can warp and won’t line up with the table anymore.
Butterfly Leaves Fold Up And Hide Inside The Table
A butterfly leaf never leaves the table. It’s hinged in the middle so it folds in half and tucks into a space under the tabletop, and when you need it you pull the table apart, unfold it and close the table back up around it.
You can do it by yourself and you don’t have to find storage for anything, so if you live in an apartment this one makes a lot of sense. I will say you don’t see it as often on round tables as you do on long rectangular ones, so you’ll have fewer to pick from. And since it has hinges, I’d open and close it a few times in the store to see how it feels.
Drop Leaf Tables Fold Down At The Sides
A drop-leaf table is a little different because nothing gets added in the middle. The tabletop sides are on hinges and hang down when you don’t need them, so the table is its full round size only when both sides are lifted up.
Fold them down and you’re left with a narrow table you can push up against a wall. If you want a small round kitchen table with leaf for a tight kitchen or a studio, this is usually the type to look at.
Sizes Go By The Closed Table, So Check The Open Size Too
When a listing says 42 inch or 48 inch, that’s how wide the table is when it’s closed. With the leaf in, the width stays the same and only the length changes. These are the common sizes with one 18-inch leaf.
| Closed Size | Open Size | Seats Closed | Seats Open |
| 42 in round | 42 x 60 in | 4 | 6 |
| 48 in round | 48 x 66 in | 4 to 5 | 6 to 7 |
| 54 in round | 54 x 72 in | 5 to 6 | 8 |
The seat numbers are for regular dining chairs, with about 24 inches of table edge for each person. If your chairs have arms, plan on one less.
And not every leaf is 18 inches. There’s a 42-inch table on the Kohl’s site that only opens to 58, so always read the open measurement on the listing and don’t assume.
Choose Your Round Table With Leaf By Room Size First
Measure the room before you look at any tables. You want about 36 inches between the edge of the table and the wall, or whatever furniture is next to it, on every side. That’s what it takes to pull a chair out and still have someone walk behind it.
So take the open length of the table, add 6 feet, and your room needs to be at least that long. A 42-inch table that opens to 60 inches needs a room about 11 feet long and 9.5 feet wide. If the table sits in an open space next to the living area, measure to the back of the sofa and not to the far wall, the same way you’d leave walking room in a modern living room.
Buy For The People You Feed Every Day
After the room, think about who eats at the table on a normal day and not on the holidays. If it’s two to four of you, 42 inches is plenty, and the leaf covers the days you have company. A family of five is better off at 48. I wouldn’t go up to 54 unless the room is big, because a table that size takes up a lot of floor even when it’s closed.
A Pedestal Base Gives You More Seats
On a round table I’d pick a pedestal base over four legs pretty much every time. With one post in the middle, there are no legs in the way, so you can put chairs wherever you want and squeeze in an extra person. Four legs kind of lock you into four seats.
One thing to do in the store is open the table all the way and lean on the end. If it tips or wobbles, keep looking.
Let Your Storage Decide The Leaf
The leaf type mostly comes down to where you’d keep it. I’d go with a removable leaf if there’s a spot in the house where a board can lie flat, and a butterfly leaf if there isn’t, and for a really small room I’d skip both and get a drop leaf.
If you’re buying a used table, ask to see the leaf before you talk about price. A lot of secondhand tables are missing theirs, and finding a matching one later is hard. I’d only buy a table without it if the small size is all I need, or if it’s going to be a thrift flip project anyway.
A Few Questions People Ask Before Buying
What Shape Is A Round Table With The Leaf In?
It turns into an oval. The ends stay curved, and the middle goes straight, so a 48-inch round with an 18-inch leaf ends up 48 inches wide and 66 inches long.
How Many People Can Sit At A 42-Inch Round Table With A Leaf?
Four when it’s closed and six with the leaf in, as long as the chairs don’t have arms.
Can You Leave The Leaf In All The Time?
Sure, a lot of people do. Just make sure the room still has that 36 inches around it, because now you have an oval table full time.
I’d Go With A 42-Inch Pedestal For Most Homes
If you asked me to pick one, I’d say a 42-inch round table with a leaf on a pedestal base works for most homes, and I’d bump that up to 48 inches for a bigger family. Get the size right first. The wood and the colour are the fun part, and you can take your time on those.
